Monster
by Siri Avaruus
Summary: A secret of Aang’s causes Katara to become jealous and the ever scheming Azula uses this to her advantage. She will twist this jealousy into hate and turn the Avatar's friend against him, in the process creating a monster. AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, Siri Avaruus here, I've had this saved on the computer for a long time now so I figured since its summer why not post it here. The flashbacks take place after The Firebending Masters but everything after that is AU. Sorry the first chapter is short, they'll get longer though. Well, I hope you guys enjoy it and thanks for reading. Constructive criticism is welcome. Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.**

Of all the places in the world this was the last place she would have expected to end up in and as she sat miles underground in the dark she could hardly believe it herself. She had had the perfect life only years ago, great friends, fun adventures… but those were only fading memories now. They had been replaced by the haunting nightmare that had become her new life.

She sighed as she leaned against the cold metal cell wall. She had no idea how long she had been in this place. Was it years or only a few months? She sometimes got letters from her brother, telling her he had forgiven her and she would be home soon. She looked forward to the letters, they told her of the events going on in the outside world. But she knew she was never going home, they would never let her be free. In their eyes and the eyes of many others she was a monster. Sometimes in the lonely, soundless prison she could almost hear his voice, his sad accusing voice echo through the halls, "_What happened to you Katara? How did you become such a monster?"_

"I am not a monster." She whispered firmly to herself.

_"But you are Katara,"_ Replies the voice in her head, the source of her misery, _"even the Avatar knows it and so do you..."_

"No!" Katara looked up at the ceiling and imagined she could see the night sky and the silver moon, "Yue please end my suffering, I know I made a mistake and I'm so sorry. But please let me rest…"

Katara crawled over to the corner farthest from the door and curled up against the wall. She looked back up, "I'm so sorry Mom."

~*~

Katara was awoken by a growl emanating from her hungry stomach, today was the eighth day she had refused food. She licked her parched lips and slowly lifted her weary body to a sitting position. Today was the beginning of another long unwanted day. Footsteps and the clang of metal told her a guard was at her cell door. She looked up and watched the man slide a tray of grayish brown mush in.

"Are you going to eat it or are you still refusing food?" He asked.

Katara remained silent and glared at him.

The guard shrugged, "If you want to starve yourself go ahead, you'll just be one less criminal in the world." He walked off.

Katara's stomach roared agian and she looked longingly at the tray near the door, she inched forward slightly before shaking her head and crawling back to her corner. Sighing she curled up into a fetal position and fell back asleep.

**7 years earlier…**

Katara lay on her bed in the abandoned Airbender Temple. Usually at this time of the day she would be waterbending with Aang but recently he had been busy with other things.

"Sugar Queen?"

Katara glanced at the open doorway where Toph stood arms crossed leaning against the door frame. "Yes?" she asked.

"I have something to tell you." The earthbender replied.

Katara got up and motioned for her friend to come sit on the bed. Toph moved from the door way and hopped on the bed next to Katara.

"So, what is it you want to tell me?" Katara inquired.

"I noticed that Twinkle Toes had been making excuses every afternoon to get out of waterbending and then disappearing until sundown. Yesterday I followed him and I discovered he's been going to this huge hidden underground city a few miles from here and-"

"-Is he there now?" Katara interrupted.

"Yeah," Toph responded, " but he goes there to mee-"

Katara quickly stood, "-Lets go surprise him, we can explore the city together!" She dragged Toph out of her room and to the front of the Temple. "Will we need to take Appa?"

"No, I got there using earthbending but Katara maybe you should wait for him to come back."

Katara walked over to the sleeping bison clearly not listening, "We'll just take Appa, that way he won't hear us coming."

The whole ride Katara talked constantly about how they were going to sneak up on Aang and explore the city. Toph was grateful that the trip only took a few seconds because the waterbender's consistent chatter was beginning to get on her nerves. Katara's mouth was so loud she wouldn't be surprised if Aang had heard them already, Katara was being the farthest thing from quiet.

"So which way Toph?" Katara asked once they had found the stone entrance to the underground city.

"Just follow me." The earthbender responded, "But seriously have you even thought about why he hasn't told you about it yet?"

"Not really," the older girl replied, "He probably just forgot."

"Yeah, I'd definitely forget to tell someone about a secret city I go everyday to." Toph stopped in front of a gigantic wooden door etched with swirly and circular cravings. "I still haven't told you the reason Twinkle Toes comes out here. He comes to meet a-"

But Katara wasn't listening any more. She stepped forward and opened the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter guys, sorry it took so long to get up. I've fallen behind in my summer economics course and I got my wisdom teeth removed but its here now, so enjoy! Read and Review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender**

**Present day...**

Katara was rudely awoken from her sleep by a rough shove. She opened one eye and saw a tall lean guard looking down at her. "Get up!" he grunted.

Katara groaned, she had a splitting headache and she felt nauseous. All she wanted was to be left alone. She wasn't even a difficult prisoner… well not any more. The guard was obviously in a hurry; he firmly grabbed her wrists and pulled her up. She gasped as he twisted her wrists while cuffing her hands in the back and then violently pushing her out of her cell where two more guards waited.

"Keep an eye on this one." The guard who had woke her up said, "She's dangerous."

The second guard laughed, "She don't look dangerous to me, she can barely stand!"

The third guard studied her, "No, he's right, that there is Master Katara she's the best waterbender alive, she's one of the ones who taught the Avatar. She must be fakin' it." He looked Katara in the eye, "You ain't gonna trick me Master Katara. I'm on to your little escape plan."

Katara ignored him, the hallway was a spinning blur and her legs which she hadn't used in awhile were shaking uncontrollably. Maybe starving herself wasn't such a good idea.

"I don't know," she heard the second guard say, "She looks kinda pale and I think she's about to fall over."

I am about to fall over Katara wanted to shout. Her hands flew to her stomach and she moaned in pain, she felt like she was going to throw up.

"Come on, move! We don't got all day" The second guard snapped, he pushed her foreword.

The sudden movement startled Katara, she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor. One of the guards bent down and picked her up just as she began to vomit.

"Gross." The first guard murmured.

He dropped Katara and she fell back down to the stone floor. The cool floor felt good against Katara's warm skin so she pressed her face closer. Katara felt herself being lifted off the ground but she didn't protest. She expected the guard to put her back on her feet but instead he lifted her over his shoulder. Where they were taking her she didn't find out, she had fallen into unconsciousness.

****

~*~

Seven years earlier...

Katara starred wide eyed at the sight before her. Her best friend was leaning over some strange girl she didn't know and tickling her. The girl who looked about Toph's age frowned, she obviously wasn't happy about being interrupted.

So many feelings and thoughts were running through her head. Katara wasn't sure what she felt and she wasn't sure what to think of this girl yet.

"Hi." She said lamely.

The girl jumped up and cart wheeled over to her, "You must be Katara and Toph, Aang has told me so much about you both." She replied evenly, she held out a fair-skinned hand for Katara to shake, "I'm Miku."

Katara studied the strange brunette girl standing in front of her; she noticed Miku wore traditional Air Nomad clothing somewhat similar to Aang's. Katara narrowed her eyes; there was something about this girl she didn't like. She ignored Miku's outstretched hand and walked over to the airbender behind her who still hadn't moved.

"So is _she_ the reason you've been missing _our_ waterbending time?" Katara inquired, her voice rising with each word.

"Well you see-"

Katara didn't let her friend finish, "No," she screamed, "don't give me excuses Aang! We're at war and instead of practicing you sneak off to go play with her?" Katara looked down at her best friend, her blue eyes locked briefly with his before he shifted his gaze to his feet. She turned and hastily walked away, "C'mon Toph," she growled, "we're leaving."

Toph shrugged, "Whatever Sugar Queen, I'll be right behind you" she continued speaking once Katara had left, "Boy are you going to get it when you get back Twinkle Toes."

Aang didn't reply.

**~*~**

**Present day…**

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Well, she's running a slight fever and she's underweight but I don't see why she won't make a full recovery. She will need plenty of rest and food though." The second voice, also male paused, "Where did you say you were taking her your Highness?"

"The South Pole, she's the chief's younger sister. Why?"

"No reason, though I'm not sure what the cold weather will do to her fever. Keep her below deck and make sure she is dressed warmly at all times."

Katara listened to the rest of their conversation with some interest but she was more concerned with finding out where she was. Opening her blue eyes she studied the sight before her, metal, she saw a metal ceiling and her sheets, they were red. Metal rooms and red fabric… the only conclusion she could get from that was Fire Nation. So she was on a Fire Nation ship headed for the South Pole but what was this about her brother being the chief of the tribe. Had her father died?

_"So what if he's dead he deserved it." whispered the evil voice in her head, "He abandoned you and he left you to rot in prison."_

"Go away!" Katara screamed.

Katara's cry interrupted the two men's conversation and they rushed over to her bed. "Katara?" asked a familiar voice.

"Zuko?" Katara blinked, "Where's Azula?"

Zuko looked confused, "She's dead Katara, she has been for years."

Katara blinked again, "But I heard her voice…"

The doctor felt her forehead, "Oh dear, it seems her fever has gone up again."

Katara saw the doctor's lips moving but no sound came from his mouth, instead she heard a cold feminine voice she would rather not hear again, _"This is perfect, look over there Katara to your right, see that knife?" _Katara nodded, _"Pick it up and stab the Fire Lord, you can do it Katara. Just stab him."_

"What are you doing!?" Zuko yelled.

Katara jumped, startled at his sudden outburst, the knife dropped from her fingers and fell to the floor. Zuko swiftly picked it up and handed it to the doctor.

Katara looked puzzled, "What do you mean what am I doing?"

"You just grabbed that knife and looked like you were going to stab yourself. Doctor could you get Katara some tea?"

"Of course Fire Lord Zuko."

Katara shook her head, "I didn't grab that knife." But she sounded unsure when she spoke, "Did I?"

"Yes you did dear." The elderly doctor told her as he handed her a cup of hot tea, "Drink it, you'll feel better."

Katara took a small sip of the tea, "Ugh! That's strong," she coughed, "it tastes like onions and something really, really sour."

"Sorry, that's the medicine I mixed in." The doctor explained.

"Oh." Katara gazed down at her cup; she silently counted to three then gulped down the rest. She coughed and stuck out her tongue, "Ugh, next time have your uncle make the tea Zuko."

"Will do." The firebender replied, "I'll let you rest now."

Katara muttered something but neither the doctor nor Zuko understood, he was about to ask her what she had said but Katara had already dozed off. Zuko turned and followed the doctor out, silently closing the door behind him.

"So how is she?" asked a feminine voice behind him.

"Fine for now," he told his wife, "the doctor just gave her some medicine."

"I found some clothes that might fit Katara." Mai said softly, "I'm sure she wants to get out of those filthy prison clothes."

Zuko nodded, "I'll have the doctor alert you when she wakes up." He said, "She might need some help changing."

His wife nodded.

"How are you two doing?" Zuko asked, placing his hand on her swollen belly.

Mai smiled, "We're both fine Zuko."

Zuko took her hand and kissed her check, "It's getting late Mai, you should get some rest."

"Only if you'll be joining me," she whispered, "even the Firelord needs sleep."

"I will come to bed in a bit but first I have to send a messenger hawk to Sokka." Zuko let go of her hand, "I promised him I would keep him updated on his sister's condition."

Mai sighed, "Alright, but don't take too long."


End file.
